Been a while since I have flown with a firearm but it sticks in my mind awhile back Delta was a bit of a pain to deal with. Is this still the case? Looking to fly in to Anchorage in Sept and don't want to have any issues pop up with an airline that doesn't like guns. Wouldn't bother with them but they have the best flight times to meet my schedule. Thanks in advance, Jeff

I fly Delta several times a year with guns. I don't see them being any more of a problem than the others. Traveling with guns in general is a nuisance.

You post this in the Alaska Forum so I'd guess you're coming here, I sure like flying Alaska Airlines with my bird dog and firearms. I'm willing to fit my schedule around theirs.

In my limited experience, it is often more of the airport than the airline. Delta out of Anchorage I do a few times per year and they are wonderful with firearms.
If you're coming from NYC or Chicago on Delta it may be not so pleasant.
Cal

Cal nailed it. The airport/TSA make the difference and Anchorage is painless. Delta is about as easy an airline as you will find for firearms. Thankfully for me my home airport is painless as well. Besides Anchorage I've had good luck with the TSA at airports with a lot of firearms traffic. Albuquerque and Omaha come to mind. I'm glad I don't live in the NE around a major hub.

BTW- I'm flying Delta into AK on 7 August.

Don

Yep, the airport makes the difference. TSA training at the airport is way more important than the airline you fly. Poor training equals PITA, good training usually equals painless transition.

Interestingly, Chicago has been good to me. After several trips through there with handguns and rifles, they are more interested in the stories, or what I am after than anything to do with the firearms. I change airlines there sometimes and have to re-check my baggage.

I usually travel Delta out of Indy because my dad worked for them, and they serve Great Falls, MT. Otherwise, I try for Southwest. I've only had one issue at the Delta counter, and it was a personal issue with the counter guy. He let me know his feelings on hunting. I thanked him for the information and had a really good hunt.

Your attitude seems to make the biggest difference. Happy guy going on vacation has worked for me even in stickier situations.

Oh, and having the regulations printed never hurts, just don't use them like a hammer.

Jeremy

Thanks for the advice everyone.

The only problem I have with any of the airlines is that they don't know the TSA rules.
They think a gun case is the only legal case. The requirement is a hard sided case with 2 locks that can't be preyed open.I travel with a big plastic case with either my Blaser Knocked down or my Dakota Traveler knocked down. I put it in with all my clothes and goodies. No Ammo has to be separate.
Usually carry the TSA ruling in my passport.
Like traveling that way then the baggage handlers have no idea there is a gun in the box. To many horror stores of gun cases being preyed open and guns gone.
Just my 2 cents.

Joe: Just for clarification airlines can have a more stringent firearms policy than the TSA requirements. In fact the individual airline can refuse to carry firearms if they choose to do so.

QUERY: I am traveling to Anchorage on Delta on Thursday and bringing a shotgun and a handgun in my Tuffpak. Is that permissible to take a handgun in the Tuffpak with the shotgun? Both will be in soft cases in my Tuffsak in the Tuffpak. Ammo will be in checked bag in hard side Pelican case with TSA locks. I have never flown with a handgun before.

I'm heading to the Kenai on Alaskan Air in a week. They are very Firearm friendly.

I've flown several times with both a handgun and a rifle. No issues. I've often used a Tuffpak for this type of trip with no issues.

I just returned from a fishing trip to Mexico, and had an issue with my Tuffpak in SLC flying Delta. I was only carrying fishing poles and gear in the Tuffpak, no firearms, and got hassled the Tuffpak was oversized. The fact is this same Tuffpak has made 20 or more international flights over the years with never a second look, although it always had firearms. Eventually was allowed to check it, "just this once", but don't know if Delta's policy is changing or if it was just a bad ticket agent and supervisor.

Also, since it didn't have guns, it went straight up the chute with other luggage, and not sent to TSA for pre-clearance like they do with firearms. Got called back to the ticket counter from the gate 20 minutes later because TSA wanted to open the Tuffpak and needed the key.
A PITA, but in the end everything made it fine. No questions at all returning with the same case from Mexico.

You just have to learn to roll with it on the airlines these days.

Bill

Thanks Bill. I am planning on both in the TuffPak. I am going to put the handgun in a hardside handgun case inside the TuffPak. I will be carrying a couple of knives and other items as well.

quote:

Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:
Thanks Bill. I am planning on both in the TuffPak. I am going to put the handgun in a hardside handgun case inside the TuffPak. I will be carrying a couple of knives and other items as well.

You will be fine. Any stopover time in Anchorage?

Jim

10 days! We're visiting our daughter who lives in Eagle River.

Llama- Is the sporting goods exemption with Delta no longer in effect for oversize?

I asked about the "sporting goods" size exemption and the agent acted liked he had never heard of it. I contacted Tuffpak manufacturer and asked if they had heard of a problem flying with their cases. They said, "yes, very rarely an agent makes an issue of it. It seems to just be the particular agent you get."

I am convinced if I had firearms it wouldn't have been a problem, as the case would have gone straight to TSA. Apparently fishing poles aren't sporting goods (?!), and as always, ticket agents can make up new rules whenever they want. You are at their mercy...
Bill

I flew Delta almost exclusively while living in SLC. I made many trips with my Tuffpak carrying firearms through that airport and never had a problem, except once. The guy was checking me in and had already printed the two luggage tags for my checked items.
As soon as I mentioned that I was traveling with a firearm he immediately broke out a tape measure and designated it as oversized and charged me. I asked to speak to the manager and she just reiterated the oversized dimensions to me.
I believe it is just up to the counter agent you get.

I've flown several times with both a rifle and a handgun in a hard rifle case. No problems so far, but I wasn't flying Delta.

Just got back on Sunday evening. All went well. No problems with the shotgun and hand gun in the TuffPak. I love the Anchorage airport when traveling with guns. Extremely gun friendly!

I have never had a problem with firearms on Delta. Alaska airlines was fantastic as they are very used to hunters.

Personal view- Having had Delta "forget" to load my rifles from the oversized bag drop off...leaving me in Whitehorse without my rifle for several days...I would buy one of the new beacons that tells you where your bag is. Drop it in the case with the rifles and know for sure, where your bag is.

The other way is to take an extra I-Phone, drop it in the bag powered up... You can always look and see where it is with the app.

Worth it.

I have never in Northern Kentucky been charged an oversize bag or really hassled with Delta out of N. Kentucky.

One Delta baggage check girl did deputize herself as a customs agent until the real customs agent told her to shut up, get behind the counter, and process my rifle.

Even at Charles De Gula and Aiepr pFrance never really had a problem with the rifle case an SKB double rifle case, most think it is an instrument. Any problem I have had at Charles De Gula is bc of that airport and French bureaucrats in general. It was not firearms related that place is just the Labyrinth and Donate's seven realms of hell in one place.

I am sorry for your inconvenience. The bag tracker thing lowjacking the bag is a good idea.

quote:

Originally posted by lockingblock:
Personal view- Having had Delta "forget" to load my rifles from the oversized bag drop off...leaving me in Whitehorse without my rifle for several days...I would buy one of the new beacons that tells you where your bag is. Drop it in the case with the rifles and know for sure, where your bag is.

The other way is to take an extra I-Phone, drop it in the bag powered up... You can always look and see where it is with the app.

Worth it.

The Delta phone app will send you messages/alerts telling you your bag is on Flight XYZ, it just got offloaded, etc. You can also view the status as well. The only bug in it I have seen is that if you switch your flight, it doesn't recognize the new one; happened to me when I moved my return from AK up two days. In that case, I just asked the gate agents to run my bag tags and tell me where they were - worked like a charm.

Delta requires all guns to be hand carried, and now require you claim them at customer service in the baggage claim area; you must have ID. Previously, a ramp worker would deliver guns to the carousel area and give them to you after you showed ID. Delta is also using a giant zip lock strap on gun cases, but mine came off on the way home.

That app does not work if you have an international, connection even with a Delta partner such as Airfrance. Ask me how I know.

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:
That app does not work if you have an international, connection even with a Delta partner such as Airfrance. Ask me how I know.

I know too; in that case I just go to the counter and ask them to check on the bag status.

Had no issues with Delta going to and from Anchorage in October.

I must say my Delta experience last month going to Canada with guns was very pleasant. No freaked out counter staff just very business like matter of fact check in. The giant zip tie on the gun case deterred Canadian Custom form check my firearms. They get an "A" at least for that trip. Toronto airport on the other hand is a zoo and Air Canada is like the proverbial soup sandwich. I'd much rather fly into any African country any day than go through that goat rope again.

Mark